Edited by
Federico Bertolani
From Il campiello
music byi Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Conductor
Francesco Ommassini
Director
Federico Bertolani
Scenes
Giulio Magnetto
Costumes
Manuel Pedretti
Lighting
Claudio Schmid
Choir Director
Patrizia Priarone
Assistant director
Barbara Pessina
Gasparina
Bianca Tognocchi
Dona Cate Panciana
Leonardo Cortellazzi
Luçieta
Gilda Fiume
Dona Pasqua Polegana
Saverio Fiore
Gnese
Benedetta Torre
Orsola
Paola Gardina
Zorzeto
Matteo Mezzaro
Anzoleto
Gabriele Sagona
Il Cavaliere Astolfi
Biagio Pizzuti
Fabrizio Dei Ritorti
Marco Camastra
Actors
Roberto Adriani, Katia Mirabella
Orchestra and Technicians of the Carlo Felice Theater Foundation in Genoa
On a chilly morning, two tourists linger to admire the beauty of a Venetian square, while their massive cruise ship sets sail again. Left behind on shore, they soon realize they are “trapped” in a magical world suspended in space and time, where an ancient yet fascinating language is spoken. The clock of history in this little square seems to have stopped in the 18th century, and the square gradually fills with its characters: Luçieta, Gnese, Zorzeto with their comical mothers, and then Cavalier Astolfi, Gasparina, and her “despotic” uncle. The two unsuspecting visitors find themselves, unseen, watching and commenting on the events that enliven the square and are typical of Goldoni’s comedies: amorous skirmishes, parties, games, and inevitable quarrels. Only in the evening, when their large cruise ship passes by the square once more, will our two “time travelers” be able to return to their own era.
And who knows if one of the characters in the Campiello isn’t eager to take advantage of this window into the future to embark on a new adventure?
Through a dramatic escamotage, this adaptation of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s work offers the audience a sort of modern magnifying glass through which to observe Goldoni’s world, immerse themselves in it, and fully grasp all its nuances—and… why not?—all its modernity!